Posts tagged Facebook
10 things you need to know about Google+
Jul 26th
Will Google+ be the “Facebook killer” that many online gurus are predicting? James Murray, marketing and research analyst at Experian Hitwise UK shares some interesting stats to help you decide.
1. The single biggest day for visits to Google+ to date was 13 July 2011. 1 in every 1700 visits to a social network on that day went to Google+. Interestingly in the US, the biggest days of traffic for Google+ were on 12 and 14 July as my colleague Heather pointed out in her blog.
2. Google+ is currently the 80th most popular social network in the UK, although it was the 62nd most visited social network on 13 July. The website has already broken into the top 1,000 most popular websites in the UK, ranked 982nd in our data for the week ending 16 July 2011.
3. Visits to Google+ rocketed 500-fold between the week ending 9 July and the week ending 16 July.
4. The average visit time to Google+ from UK Internet users is 4 minutes 16 seconds. That is half as long as the average visit to Twitter, one seventh the average visit time to Facebook, but a whole minute longer than the average visit to Yahoo! Answers.
5. ‘google plus’ was the fourth biggest Google-related search term typed into all search engines last week, behind ‘google’, ‘google maps’ and ‘google translate’. 97% of all searches for Google+ came from Google, with the other 3% split among Bing and Yahoo! Search.
6. The biggest source of traffic for Google+ in the last week was Facebook. 16% of all visits coming to Google+ came from Facebook. 15% of visits came from Google UK, 4% came from YouTube and 2.5% from Gmail.
7. Google+ depends on social networks for 28% of its traffic. By contrast Facebook receives 6% of its traffic from other social networks whereas YouTube receives 22% from social. Twitter is the most dependent of the big three social networks on traffic from other social sites with 32% coming from this sector.
8. The top search terms typed into a search engine after a visit to Google+ was ‘facebook’. 3.22% of all visits leaving Google+ also went directly to Facebook.
9. 53% of UK visitors to Goolge+ are male vs 47% female. 1 in 4 visits to the website came from the 25-34 age demographic, the most popular age bracket visiting the Google social network.
10. The biggest concentration of Google+ users live in East London, accounting for over 3% of visits to the website. East Londoners are more than twice as likely to visit Google+ than the average UK Internet user. The place where people are least likely to use Google+ in the UK is Blackpool.
Unsatisfied with Facebook or just bored?
Jul 25th
Apparently we are all very unsatisfied with Facebook. But not unsatisfied enough to actually stop visiting the site up to three times a day.
According to a new survey from ForeSee Results and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Facebook has an index of 66 – a rating that not only puts the company at the bottom of the rung in the report’s social networking category but also makes it the lowest-scoring site of all measured companies.
What came first then?
User-contributed online encyclopedia Wikipedia takes the top spot in ACSI’s Social Media category with an index of 78. YouTube is second with 74.
And unsurprisingly, Google is king when it comes to the Search Engine and Portals category, jumping up 4% from last year’s rating to 83.
Microsoft’s Bing is not far behind (82) and has made impressive gains in consumer satisfaction, jumping up 7% since 2010.
Are we really unsatisfied with Facebook or do the stats show that we, as a digital and ever changing tech culture, like to try out new things?
It is inevitable that most of us will ‘try out’ Google+. We all ‘tried’ Facebook before we even knew what social networking was.
I think this ‘survey’ is positive for Facebook. It doesn’t mean we’re satisfied, it means we’re bored.
As social networkers, we’re over Farmville and we’re over poking each other so hello Facebook – get into a brainstorming session and concentrate on something other than monetization for a change. Turn the Facebook audience back into a captured one.
The message can be extended to marketers who have become so excited about the prospect of Google+, they’ve stop innovating on Facebook.
There are still 750 million of us on Facebook. Only 18 million on Google+.
Is Google+ the search giant last chance to stay relevant?
Jul 14th
If we could say what is on Facebook’s mind right now we probably wouldn’t be able to publish or get through your email filters. In simple terms, Facebook is scared. Google may or may not have come up with a viable rival networking site, but most importantly, it’s already pulled in more than 10 million users, pre-launch!
Facebook took over a year to garner such a sign up. And while it may have more than 50 million across the globe now, some may be ditching the social networking king of kings for a brand that they’ve come to know and love for more than 10 years.
With headlines such as ‘How to move your Facebook photos to Google+’, ‘Google+: It’s a man thing’ and ‘Professors Look at Google+ For Student Learning’, it’s not looking too good for Facebook.
Some media experts have suggested that Facebookers have simply become bored of the site and that Google+ is offering something new to people who are looking to try something new.
So what does this mean for marketers?
Marketers, and Facebook itself actually, have finally figured out how to use the social networking site as a marketing platform. And it’s working!
No pitch is ever pitched to a client without the inclusion of a social media strategy and drafted Facebook Wall posts.
Now those marketers will have to get to know Google+ immediately and probably do twice the work. After all, a tailored approach to each network is usually what a client wants to see.
Google will have to get its social network right pretty quickly if it wants to compete at an elite level and maintain its rapid take up of users – both business and pleasure.
Social media is big business not just for brands but everyone. Facebook made us aware of this and now there are so many sites in which we log on to and divulge the inners of our lives, but not ever network can succeed.
Google has a lead coming into the game already being a digital marketing expert. However, if it fails to live up to expectations, it could very well be the beginning of the end of Google.
If people are leaving Facebook because they are bored, it could only be a matter of time before they bore of Google.
Which has already started with people watching to Bing…mmm, last chance saloon for Google to remain relevant?
Facebook looks to make it easier for app developers
Jun 20th
Facebook has started encouraging developers who write Facebook apps to do so for mobile devices using a relatively new technology standard called HTML5.
The social network has also been using HTML5 to enhance its own mobile offerings, which are used by more than 250 million people to tap into its services.
But what’s the reason behind the bid?
Some app developers reckon Facebook’s underlying motivation is to position itself as an alternative development platform for programmers that now tailor mobile apps specifically for Apple’s iOS operating system or Google’s Android.
This could also make it easier for marketers to create their own apps and campaigns on the platform.
Others, including blog TechCrunch, believe that Facebook is working on a mobile platform dubbed “Project Titan” that was designed to bypass Apple by using the HTML5 technology that works with the iPhone and iPad’s mobile browser, Safari.
HTML5 can help Facebook and app developers reach new users and “close the gap” between existing web and mobile user experiences. However, HTML5 and apps written directly for iOS and other operating systems are not “either-or” decision.
Facebook and all of its developers will be choose both. And Apple isn’t against it at all. The tech giant is backing the technology as an alternative to Adobe’s Flash.
Facebook could in the future also play more of a role in helping users discover apps on mobile phones.
Such technologies can address major pain points for mobile-app developers and marketers – such as making it possible to create one version of a program that works on multiple devices, rather than multiple versions of apps.
Internet giants say no to regulation. A good deal for marketers?
May 27th
The leaders of Facebook, Google and other technology companies have warned G8 leaders to tread carefully in attempting to police the web. Is this a simple power grab from the most powerful people in marketing?
This year marks the first time the technology sector has been represented at the meeting of the G8 group of leading nations. And our internet giants took full advantage.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg along with Google’s executive founder Eric Schmidt said that mooted rules on copyright or privacy could “stymie innovation” and inhibit the free expression that fuelled the recent Arab uprisings.
The pair joined forces to resist proposed new rules to “civilise” the internet, championed by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, at the Deauville e-G8 summit.
Sarkozy told the executives to support greater rule of law on the web in such a way that innovation would not be harmed.
Earlier in the week he warned of the “anarchy” of the internet in its current form, telling the e-G8 Forum in Paris on Tuesday: “You cannot escape a minimum set of rules.”
The discussion comes as governments in the US and UK consider new schemes to force internet companies to block websites that facilitate online piracy.
But measures to combat perceived pitfalls of the online world, such as illegal downloading of copyrighted material, could have unintended consequences according to Zuckerberg.
He said, “On the one hand you have the internet which is this really powerful force for giving people a voice. Now it’s tempting to say that on security or privacy you can go towards the most extreme option and maintain all the value that we currently recognise. I’m worried personally that’s not true.”
Schmidt added that his main worry is that “premature regulation” could shut off whole new industries, whole new opportunities and whole new innovations.
Could that be true? Sounds like a case of the school yard bullies ganging up on the teacher?
When two of the most influential people in the internet and online business start throwing their weight around to get their own way, alarm bells ring.
Are they legitimate about their concerns…or interested protecting their fortune and databases?
Are music and TV the next social frontiers?
May 25th
Mark Zuckerberg reckons so. Speaking during the closing session of the e-G8 Internet Forum in Paris yesterday, the Facebook founder and CEO said music, TV shows and books will be among the next products to become “social” through the website.
He said that these “media experiences” probably will follow the path of computer games, which have been transformed by the Facebook platform.
Online streaming service Netflix has also been talking with Facebook about ways to integrate social-networking tools, he said.
Zuckerberg believes that listening to music is something people do with their friends and movies, TV, news, books are things – the young CEO believes – people just “naturally” do with friends.
He said, “I hope we can play a part in enabling those new companies to get built, and companies that are out there producing this great content to become more social.”
Facebook is expanding into new content areas to lure advertisers and head off challenges from Google and its earnings are predicted to top $2 billion this year, buoyed by advertisers such as Coca- Cola and Adidas.
Integrating more content with Facebook would give media companies another path to consumers, who have been harder to reach as their options broaden to include Apple’s iTunes, Google’s TV services and dedicated online players including Hulu and Netflix in the US.
And the proof is in the success – Facebook began letting third-party developers offer games on its site in 2007. Since then, social-gaming companies such as Zynga have become among the largest in the industry.
Zynga, the biggest provider of games on Facebook, is now the second-most valuable US game developer, with three of the four more popular games on Facebook; CityVille, FarmVille and Texas HoldEm Poker.
So it’s no wonder Facebook is looking for more pies in which to put its fingers. Even if the world isn’t becoming as ‘social’ as we think – it’s certainly where all the marketing dollars are headed.
Does your number of Facebook friends reflect your age?
May 25th
We’re all digital people in a digital world and now the average British 22 year-old has more than 1,000 online friends on sites such as Facebook to prove it. But are we more popular, or just more digital savvy?
Facebook users in their fifties have fewer than 20 friends with the ‘Facebook generation gap’ proving bigger than ever.
Research from Intersperience has highlighted a clear link between people’s age and the number of online friends they have. The researchers found that those aged 13 to 16, have an average of 450 friends on social networks, with girls having slightly more friends that boys.
People in their thirties tend to have between 100 and 200 friends, while those in their forties have between 50 and 100.
The research underlines fundamental changes taking place in British society as a result of entering the digital age.
More than half of Brits are ‘on’ Facebook and the explosion in social networking activity is blurring lines of what a ‘friend’ is. In a social media context, a ‘friend’ means something different to a 20 year old than to a 50 year old.
Social networking is just one example of how different groups are adapting to the digital age at different paces. In this case, age is the determining factor – however in other instances it is not.
Consumers are regrouping on different lines, with a willingness and ability to master technology emerging as a key factor in determining how well individuals adapt to the digital age.
According to Research Brief, the digital savvy are defined by their ownership of hi-tech items such as high-def TVs and PDAs and common use of the web to perform tasks like banking, blogging, gaming and content downloading – but where does advertising fit into their bag?
Does ‘digital savvy’ mean that consumers are cottoned on to how marketers are reaching them via digital means?
A recent report released by ExactTarget and CoTweet found two primary reasons why consumers ‘like’ brands on Facebook: for discounts and as a ‘social badge.’
Nearly 40% of Facebook users become fans to receive discounts and promotions, while 39% do so to demonstrate their support for a particular brand to their friends.
Some other pearls of wisdom into the minds of digital savvy consumers include: 43% of the Facebook users said they Like at least one brand; 34% of Facebook users say they Like brands in order to stay informed about company activities; 33% say they Like brands to get updates on future products and among Facebook users who Like at least one brand, only 17% say they’re more likely to buy after Liking that brand on Facebook.
What social media can learn from the Dutch
Apr 27th
The Dutch social networking market continues to grow strongly as sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin extend their respective footprints in the market – but the global players are still battling for number one.
Having over 600 million active users across the globe won’t sway Dutch loyalty in the digital space it seems.
According to comScore, the social networking market in the Netherlands is really quite unique and full of interesting storylines…
Mike Read, senior vice president and managing director of comScore Europe, said, “It is one of the few markets remaining where a local social networking player (Hyves) continues to lead over Facebook.”
Although, that lead is becoming increasingly tenuous. Another interesting facet to the Dutch market is that the Netherlands has the highest internet penetration worldwide for two of the other key global social networking sites, Twitter and Linkedin.
“The Netherlands is in many ways a nexus of global social networking behaviour,” said Read.
But despite the overall maturity of the internet market in the Netherlands, the social networking category continues to advance, growing 18% to 11.5 million visitors in March 2011 (representing 96% of the online population).
Hyves continues to hold the top position among social networking sites in the market with more than 7.6 million visitors in March, but Facebook is quickly gaining ground, surging 76% in the past year to nearly 6.6 million visitors.
Twitter.com and Linkedin.com rank third and fourth, respectively, with more than 3 million visitors and each growing approximately 70% in the past year.
Lastly, more than one in four Dutch internet users visits social media sites during the course of the month. While the top ten countries in Linkedin penetration are either English-speaking or in Western Europe, the top countries for Twitter touch virtually every corner of the globe.
It’s the social (media) event of the year – MSN’s HTML5 Royal Wedding
Apr 21st
It’s another Royal Wedding headline! MSN has launched a HTML5-based feature to support its official Royal Wedding portal.
The timeline will allow users to explore what was happening in the world on key dates during William and Kate’s lives, including the news headlines and musical hits of that time.
It seems everyone wants a slice of Will’s and Kate’s lucrative big day. And they’re coming up with every gimmick imaginable to cash in on some web traffic during the epic bank holiday season that is now April.
Metia, a digital PR agency, has also developed MSN’s Royal Wedding Video Player, which will deliver the BBC’s live streaming video of the Royal Wedding and enables real time conversations about the event through integration with social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Windows Live Messenger.
There’s no doubt that this event will be the most talked about event on the social networks, ever. It will also probably go down in digital history as the most integrated event in history.
As part of MSN’s timeline, music previews will be streamed by HMV, linking users to the HMV homepage and allowing them to purchase their favourite tracks.
It’s a smart idea, and could definitely translate into other events, even the launch of major marketing campaigns.
Marketers are always looking for a digital angle, but sometimes it really is a simple as broadcasting the real life element online.
Using MSN’s Royal Wedding Video Player to watch the event enables users to share their thoughts with their connections without having to leave the MSN page. The advertising this site will be selling for the day is where the money is. This one stop solution to get users/viewers to stay on the one page while interacting it with it is surely an opportunity that won’t come by again anytime soon.
The best part is that this is also a global event.
Using Microsoft Fuse Labs’ Bing Twitter Map, users can view geo-located tweets across the world. They can even zoom in to see tweets from the crowd lining the route of the procession.
The Royal Wedding really is a once in a life time opportunity and marketers are doing what they do best – exploiting it.
The website is at http://timeline.royal.uk.msn.com/. The MSN Royal Wedding Video Player is available at http://uk.msn.com/on the big day.
Is community engagement really about Facebook and Twitter?
Apr 18th
It’s innovative and scathing marketing campaign that saw it break up with a host of other Aussie banks caused shockwave in both the advertising and banking communities around the world. But what happened when NAB (National Australia Bank) stuffed up?
Last Friday, just two months after its Valentine’s Day marketing push titled ‘Break Up’, NAB suffered a major glitch via its back end which saw millions of Aussies go without their pay – on pay day (15th of the month).
But don’t worry. NAB has a dedicated social media team and it just simply posted a message on its Facebook page explaining the debacle. “Sorry for the inconvenience”. Aussie were furious. Not least because they thought – and were told – NAB was different.
One clever customer wrote on NAB’s page, “I’m breaking up with you”.
The glitch raises the issue of community engagement for all brands. A marketing campaign can only ever go so far, as can a Facebook page and dedicated social media specialists. Do we, as marketers, need to redefine what real community engagement is?
Community engagement is a conversation with your brand community – not a statement on social media.
Marketers these days that have Facebook pages need to have them as a platform in which they can openly talk back, an open forum.
That customer that told NAB it was “breaking up” with the bank told me he received a Facebook message from NAB asking him to email them at a dedicated address and tell them why they were dissatisfied. A conversation via email. Doesn’t seem very engaging to me, although cudos to them for eventually replying.
Does the use of these digital channels mean brands are losing touch with true communities?
Or have communities been reinvented?
Remember Direct2Dell? Back in 2008, Dell was suffering from a reputation crisis. One customer had even created a website dedicated to the hatred of Dell, called Hell (playing around with the ‘Dell’ logo).
When Dell recognised its problem, it chose to engage its community and simply talk about it. It created a blog call Direct2Dell and IdeaStorm, which it had its entire staff across the globe participate in. Now that’s community engagement – engaging both the Dell community and its customers.
Suddenly Dell became a community, and it was done in a way that no Facebook Wall post or amount of ‘Likes’ could ever do.
Moreover, a blog offers a unique voice that captures your personal and business brand and your readers will relate better with you. It enables a brand to write fresh, short, dynamic content – not just simply ’respond’.
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